N.F.L. quarter back Colin Kaepernick expressed his right to peaceful protest and chose to kneel during the national anthem. According to The New York Times, 2016, Juliet Macur wrote an article about the uneasiness the N.F.L. was experiencing following Kaepernick’s protest against racial inequality and police brutality in America.

Roger Goodell, a N.F.L. commissioner told the Times, ” I support our players when they want to see change in society, and we don’t live in a perfect society. On the other hand, we believe very strongly in patriotism in the N.F.L. I personally believe strongly in that.”

The way Macur wrote this article, she clearly has an opinion on the matter. She almost mocks the way the N.F.L. handled Kaepernick’s protest. Although Macur doesn’t put in her own opinion on an “ideal society,” what caught my eye to this article was what Roger Goodell said, “… we don’t live in a perfect society,” and he’s right. We don’t live in a “perfect society,” we have flaws and imperfections. We have societal no-no’s that ignite protests like Kaepernick’s and I believe Xenophon would agree. Our society’s not “perfect.”

What Xenophon finds perfect is the Spartan’s society. He admires the Spartan’s way of discipline and how they raise their men to be strong and well-mannered. “They pride themselves on their humility, running instead of walking to answer any call, in the belief that, if they lead, the rest will follow along the path of eager obedience.” Xenophon also notes the social aspect of Spartan life. Within the people, they uphold their standard of discipline and what they expect of a Spartan citizen. To be a Spartan is an honor because a Spartan is well mannered, strong, and would die honorably rather than die a coward. Xenophon sees this as a “perfect society” because of its self sufficiency and mannerism.

Two teenage girls stabbed to death and left half-naked in a field. According to News24, two girls, ages 16 and 18, were found by passer-bys. They were stabbed in a ‘barbaric manner,’ indicating the savage way in which they were killed.

The suspect is considered as “other.” No one in our society would do this and think it’s normal or expected but whoever it was, did. The unknown subject killed the girls in a ‘barbaric manner’ showing that how he killed them may have seemed primitive or savage, not human. The article’s demographic is toward the sympathetic reader, people that are questioning the morals of person who did this and what kind of person he/she is.

We call the killer’s actions barbaric because it isn’t what we do. Just like in Greek history, anyone who is ‘non-Greek’ is considered “barbaric.”

Herodotus’ Histories starts off with his reasoning behind writing it. In his preface, he writes, ” … great and marvelous deeds done by Greeks and barbarians.” Herodotus is referring to the Persians as ‘barbaric’ because they do not speak Greek. The only time he refers to the Persians as ‘barbarians’ is in his preface. He goes onto retelling the Persians’ side of the story then to what “really” happened. By Herodotus saying, “they deny that they used any violence to remove her from Egypt … whether the matter happened otherwise, I shall not discuss further,” he is dismissing the Persians’ accounts of what happened and disregarding the matter because it is not a Greeks’ retelling.

I was scrolling around Amazon when I found this, an eye shadow pallet, Aphrodite by Contour Cosmetics. The pallet has 12 shadows, all with a goldish metallic shimmer. What got me thinking is, why’s the pallet called Aphrodite? A selling point? Her colors? Well her colors aren’t really that, they’re more red, violet, pink, seafoam green, and blue.

The Goddess of Love as depicted in the painting, The Birth Of Venus by painter Sandro Bottecelli 1486 was born from the sea and painted in her signature colors, seafoam green specially because she was born from seafoam. Aphrodite is by far the most beautiful goddess. If love and sex were a person, it would be Aphrodite.

In The Odyssey ‘Song of Demodocus’, by Homer (translated by Fangler), ” … and the two lovers, free of the bonds that overwhelmed them so, sprang up and away at once, and the Wargod sped to Thrace while Love with her telltale laughter sped to Paphos, Cyprus Isle, where her grove and scented altar stand. There the Graces bathed and anointed her with oil, ambrosial oil, the bloom that clings to the gods who never die and swathed her in round in gowns to stop the heart … an ecstacy-a vision.” [140]

After being caught committing adultery, Aphrodite quickly whisks away to Cyprus Isle. She covers herself in scented oils, a sight that seems almost heart stopping. Her look, her body, everything about her is very sensual. The Goddess of Love is loved by everyone, god and mortal.

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